The Osceola times., 1887-10-29

Basis of Their Secession.
I CHICAGO. Oct 2i.-Opon war has been
| declared upon the general executive board
Z of the Knights of Labor by certain dis
I seniers from the action taken at the Min
Nnehpolis convention. In returning from
l the convention about thirty-hve OF the
/ dissenting delegates stopped In Chicago,
fully discussed the situation and deter
mined to bring about n reorganization OF
the order. To this end a provisional cont
/ mittee Of five members was appoInted,
| with Charles +. Seib aS secretary Jhis,
( conimittcehsid gcyerGl meatin9s TO form
! ulate a plan Of action, and finally decided
! to publish the following mnnfesto:
BEADQuArEus PB1visIoNAL COMMITTEE
CHAS 4. SEIB SERErAWY
leO EAST " AsHNGrpN ST. CHICAGO, )
! crc ular 10. l..
IL d. CHICAGO. Oct. 20 iss7.
10 THE RANK ASD FILE or fHE ORDER OF
! KSIGHFso or LABDR; ludig'nHnt at the usurpa-
tion Of power and the cross violation Of the
| laws Of our order by those high IN authority;
! disgusted with those whose loyalty 10 the
present ring hlS been gained by The piclyings
they have receiy a as a reward fof thc.r So v
ices; incens datthc fawninr -yrorhants who
crawl on their knees in sla'iSA submission 20
the most corrupt the most hypocritical, the
most autocrat1c and tyraunical clique that has
ever controied any labor o-eapizatiQn, We,
therfore afirin I'M motto ot our order, that
'syYirn had fnrn ecrnbiuc the Fooas must as-
sociato else they fall We assert th1t the
hour has come when. rs honest men and
women we must declare ourselves as indc-
| pcnde 40 df tho ~ who have abused the couf-
denct rcposel In them by our order, Our duty
to The workir 1inrn ana women demands that
We AZ once rcareaniZe Che Knights of Lahoron
q basis whith will secure the antonomy Of the
nd Nf districts In
all peftainine 10 their trade and local affairs,
and n prevent ron being usel In the future
as a-nHchme 70 dll the Golfers of designing and
uusc uTulous ncu, Gs &. Is hY those now Ia
power We affirm the following TO he the rca-
| sons that have compelled this serious action
| oh our part; ....... ... .+.. ..l.. H .r
| / The general oiaee has becone luxliri-
I ous haunt for men whose chief aim is TO heneht
self pecnniarlly and otherwise aud - no long
er the Jerusalem Of the humble and honest
| knight
| 2.There has been for moro Than a yeas The
! ginn'ne prior 20 The r. hmond session. an
! undoi standing. which for lack of o better word
| we call a conspiracy, for the purpose Of hold
ing the salared pos tions, elective and ap-
! pointiyc, in and under the general assembly.
This conspiracy has used the secret channels
| and the funds Of the order 10 manufacture
sentiment for certain members and against
| others .r d..
! g. Certain persons. sometimes called "ecn-
| ernl lecturers" general organizers 80 general
! Instructors aud general MANY other thiug-
have born paid extmvn ant suns, both ms
| waves and expenses, when their only work was
| TO "hx certain districts. The lobbyist Of rail
road co porgt'ons would turn green with envy
| did they know the superlatyc cNcellency at
| tanned by those blood hers Of The Knights OF
| Labor
| 4 Organizers commissions have been re-
| fused ~ members who were known g. disagree
| with the methods Of the RIM, though The appli-
| cations were mdorsed by the district assembly
to VIII ch the applicant helonrel, NJ commis-
sions were recalled because Of the refusal OF
the holders to fall down and worship the powers
thutb he. ..r
. District and local assemblies have been
suspended or expelled and deprived Of q voice IN
the general assembly because they were
| known as opponents OF the policy of the CON
sprgtors.
G. Cjnspracies have been hatched against
dissenting members by the aid Of corrupt tools
IN the district assembly or local assembly Or
both OF such members
T. The records Of the general oflce have heen
| rxcd ana doctnredso rs 20 rulc out or admit a7
the case may be, general assembly representa-
| tiyes.
s. Men have been admitted as delegates 10
the constitutional right TO seats while others
were refused upon technicalitics, contrary TO
| precedent and established customs. In all
cases the test was for or aglinsrthc ring
O t) Many thousands OF dollars OF the or.
dcrs funds have been Illegally expended. IRE
| qucutly against the earnest protests Of honest
and law-abiding mcmbcrs. fbl FVtravagant
hotel bills co tractcd byt the families Of rcucr
nj officers have lecu paid ont OF the order
funds, as have been family laundry and bar
bills. (cl Funds have been donated and loaned
20 officers and their friends for their own per
sonal use. tdl Gene al officers organizers
and lecturers have not only been pad liberal
salaries and allowed heavy expenses from the
general treasury but have charged additional
sums to the locals and districts.
| H. Honest men. devoted to the cause OF labor
have been made the scape goats ~ bluuderna
high officials and driven in disgrace from tho
| movements.
| H. Efforts made by assemblies 10 better theu
condition have been stranpled by the rne-it is
charity TO say for no mcaner reason than IN
response to the clamor Of the common enemy
Of labor.
Y The boycott has been used to iniure the
labor press, union establishments an the
products Of knights Of Labor and union labor,
for the sole purpose Of downing worlJingmen
and women who could not be used by the con
spira'ors.
| - Persons who were not members Of thu
order have hcen provided. for Per soual reasons
with lucrative positions in the general onice.
II. The constitution has been nj cred in an ~
| legal manner: II has been tanpercd with and
measures inimical to The order at large have
been railroadcd into what Is called "law."
Is. The war has been waged by the admins
trgtion ring against trades unions and trades
districts The motto Of the ring has been
down with trades districts, eKtarminate The
trades unions" This IN spite OF our obligation
ITO extend a helping hand to all branches Of
honorable toil"
10 Nearly every important strike or lockout
In which the general officers have intcrfercc
has been lost. .
! II. As result OF this blundcrng wIshy
washy incompetent and stupidity arbitrary
policy, the membevship OF the order has de-
creased elT0ei members in one year.
IS In snitc OF the decrease OF membership
they have increased the annual expenditures
of the general assembly to s5Oo,0)0 ..
10 There was no item zcd account Of receipts
and expend lures isMed, either quarterly. as
bad formerly been the custom, or 70 t9t
general assembly.
%. IN the general assembly arguments were
mot with buncombc; gag law was reduced tC
a system by the use OF the previous ques
tom; outrageous decisions rendered; appeals
and protests ienored-all for the purpose OF
covering up the rascalities OF those n power
| All local and district assemblies, in accorc
with the above de claration. or desiring
Information. will please address
rSigneU CHARLES r. SEIR,
Secretary Provisional Committee iSo Eas
Washington street, Chicago III.